The use of monitoring systems to permit remote monitoring and surveillance of a site is common in many industrial and commercial facilities. The remote monitoring of a site provides a manpower-effective manner by which to observe ongoing activities of the site. Remote monitoring obviates the need for personnel to be physically located at the site to make observations of the ongoing activities thereat. When, for example, an abnormal condition is detected at the site by the remote monitoring system, appropriate action can be taken.
In industrial applications, monitoring systems are sometimes utilized to permit remote monitoring of an industrial process. If an abnormal process condition is detected as a result of the monitoring, appropriate action is taken. Also in industrial, as well as commercial and residential applications, remote monitoring systems are utilized, for instance, for security purposes. Monitoring of a site permits remote detection of an abnormal condition. Responsive to detection of an abnormal condition, appropriate action, such as alerting of security personnel, can be initiated. Also, in the absence of an abnormal condition, assurance is provided that the monitored site is secure and without problem.
Existing monitoring systems are, however, generally relatively costly. A significant reason for the relative costliness of existing monitoring systems is that such systems are generally constructed for centralized monitoring of a site through the use of a closed-circuit system. In such systems, sensors are permanently installed at the surveillance site. And, a central control and surveillance unit is typically in permanent communication with the sensors and is maintained in a static, non-mobile location. The apparatus utilized in such systems usually includes specialized monitoring devices which are typically geared toward the automatic detection of abnormal conditions. That is to say, such apparatus typically requires specialized logic, advanced sensors, or additional software to analyze sensed data to permit automatic alerts to be sounded.
Generally, existing monitoring systems do not take advantage of advancements in communication technologies which have permitted the implementation, and popular usage of new types of communication systems. Radio communication systems are exemplary of communication systems which have advantageously incorporated advancements in communication technologies. A cellular communication system is a type of radio communication system which has achieved wide levels of usage.
A cellular communication system provides a cost-effective manner by which to communicate telephonically. Both voice and non-voice data is typically able to be communicated through the use of a cellular communication system. Large numbers of subscribers to such systems communicate on a regular basis through the use of such systems.
Mobile terminals are utilized by subscribers to communicate therethrough both to receive and to transmit communication signals with network infrastructure of the communication system. Many constructions of mobile terminals are of physical dimensions which permit their hand-carriage by a subscriber and storage in a shirt pocket, or the like, of a subscriber. Increased mobility of communications is provided by the use of a cellular, or other radio, communication system.
The increased communication mobility, as well as cost-effectiveness of communications, provided by a cellular, or other radio, communication system has not generally, to date, been incorporated in remote monitoring systems. If a manner could be provided by which to incorporate the advantages provided by existing cellular, or other radio, communication systems, in remote monitoring systems, mobility, in an affordable manner, could be provided to a remote monitoring system. Increased continuance of monitoring of a site would be provided, all at an affordable cost.
Analogously, the advantages provided by radio communication systems have generally also not been incorporated into communications with sensors. That is to say, generally, sensors utilized in conventional monitoring systems are fixed in position in a wired connection with a remote monitoring location. Flexibility of positioning of the sensors is, therefore, limited as a result of the use of conventional wired connections. While, e.g., Bluetooth radio technology standards are in place to permit devices to communicate with one another without wired connections therebetween, the use of such technologies have generally not been utilized in remote monitoring systems. If a manner could be provided by which to incorporate Bluetooth, or other wireless, radio technologies in remote monitoring systems, increased flexibility of such systems would be provided.
It is in light of this background information related to remote monitoring systems that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.